Our Mission

The mission of the YWCA of Great Falls: Advance the quality of life for women of all ages, races, and faiths, and their families. In support of this mission, the YWCA provides services to meet critical needs, promote self-sufficiency, reduce violence, and achieve equal opportunities for all people.

Our Mission

The mission of the YWCA of Great Falls: Advance the quality of life for women of all ages, races, and faiths, and their families. In support of this mission, the YWCA provides services to meet critical needs, promote self-sufficiency, reduce violence, and achieve equal opportunities for all people.

Sandi works every day to fulfill the mission of the YWCA by taking the mission out into the community and overseeing the health of the staff and facilities. Sandi has been a self-described “feminist” since her teen years. She now has a much broader perspective on what that means. As with many other “groups” of classification, “Women’s rights are human rights.” In the first fiscal year of Sandi’s work at the YWCA Great Falls (2016-2017) all of the strategic plan items were achieved. Credit is due to staff, board and community supporters. The wage gap and preventing child abuse and neglect are two of Sandi’s priorities. Sandi holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Oregon State University and has a long history of leading nonprofits.

Sandi Filipowicz

Executive Director

Chelsea joined the YWCA Mercy Home team as a victim advocate nearly two years ago, and she learned quickly that she was right where she was supposed to be. In June 2018, Chelsea became the shelter’s coordinator/family resource specialist. She is confident and excited to continue working to empower women, eliminate racism, and support the YWCA Mercy Home. She believes in the cohesiveness of the staff and knows she would be greatly limited without the help and support of the outstanding women here at the YWCA Mercy Home. Chelsea is originally from California and has a minor in Child Development and a Bachelor’s Degree in Social and Behavioral Science.

Chelsea Calliham

Mercy Home Shelter Coordinator

Veronda works with individuals, couples and families to help navigate their way through any difficulties or concerns they may be having. She has worked at the YWCA for five years to empower her clients in a confidential and nonjudgmental way. Specializing in helping clients recover from trauma, Veronda understands the importance of unconditional positive regard in the healing process. Veronda can help clients develop skills and self-understanding to navigate their journey in life.

Veronda Biggart

Licensed Clinical Practicing Counselor (LCPC)

Stephanie is the first face and voice to greet you at the YWCA, and she has a smile for everyone. Her customer service skills are incomparable. Stephanie will give you the information you need or find someone else who can. She is the queen of Excel and keeps all of the agency’s statistics in order. Stephanie is also the best Indian taco maker in Great Falls!

Stephanie Bullshoe

Receptionist/Administrative Assistant

Donna has been part of the YWCA Great Falls since the turn of the century. In 2000, she started volunteering, in 2002 she became a staff member, and is now a vital part of the agency. You might see her keeping the donations sorted in Y’s Buys Thrift Store or setting up refreshments for the Card Club. Donna is a lovely person and a great part of the YWCA team.

Donna Butler-Plant

Board of Directors:

Officers

Jennifer Fritz – President

Jennifer is the Client Services Director at The Wendt Agency, a full service advertising and public relations agency. She works with clients to create on-target public outreach and strategic marketing plans. Born and raised in Great Falls, she is passionate about giving back to the community and the YWCA offers her the chance to do just that. When not working, Jennifer enjoys spending time outdoors, traveling, and making memories with her husband and two beautiful children.

Evie Hudson – President Elect

Evie is an attorney and owner of Hudson Law PLLC. In her practice, she assists clients with business formation, business transactions, estate planning, probate, guardianship/conservatorship, and real estate matters. She joined the YWCA Board because she personally benefited from the YWCA’s services during her childhood and wants to pay it forward to the Y and this great community. Evie enjoys spending time with her husband and three little ones. She is a self-proclaimed rehab addict who loves to refinish and repurpose furniture. When she’s not busy with the law or the YWCA, Evie is fishing or trail riding.

Kristie Sotelo – Vice President

Great Falls native, Kristie, returned to our community after a 15 year career in the television industry in Los Angeles. She has Production credits with A&E, USA, MTV, and VH1 Networks. Kristie enjoys living a slower-paced life here with her son and husband. She is also active in promoting children’s events around Great Falls, fostering a sense of community for parents of little ones. She is the Founder and Event Organizer of the Small Fry Social Club, a social group that hosts pop-up events for babies and toddlers.

Heather Hoyer – Secretary

Heather is the principal of Great Falls High School. She has been in education for 23 years, with 21 of them serving the students and families of Great Falls. Prior to being in administration, she taught science at the middle school and high school levels. Heather lives in Belt with her husband, Keith and has two daughters in college. “Working with students is my oxygen; it keeps you happy and healthy.”

Lori Eckhart – Treasurer

Board Members

Diane Bodnar

Diane is employed at First Interstate Bank as a Vice President/Business Development Officer. She has worked for the bank for 38 years in a variety of positions working her way up from the bookkeeping department. She plans to retire in June 2018 at which time she would like to travel a great deal. Diane has two daughters, one granddaughter, and one Maltese name Cheaka, all of which live in Great Falls.

Sabrina Coleman

Antoinette Collins

Antoinette is the owner and operator of The Gate of Beauty Salon and has been in business for over 16 years. During this time, she has had the opportunity to meet women from all walks of life. She loves empowering and encouraging women to be the best they can be. Antoinette wears many hats, but none is more important than being the wife of Pastor Marcus Collins of Alexander Temple Church of God in Christ and the mother of three wonderful adult children. Proverbs 31:10 asks, “Who can find a virtuous woman?” It is Antoinette’s desire to help every woman be the answer to that question.

Deb A. Huestis

Deb is the Early Childhood Community Partner Coordinator at Family Connections, MT, the child care resource and referral agency for Montana Regions 5 and 6. She works with early child care and education professionals and other agencies within the community to ensure children and families have access and resources to high-quality early learning experiences in whatever environment they are being cared for before entering formal schooling. She believes all children deserve the opportunities and experiences in early life that will support them in reaching their full potential. Deb feels that being a part of the YWCA will support that goal. She is the mom of twins, and, while she is not a born and raised Montanan, growing up in the military, she has called Great Falls home for the past 24 years and is proud to be a member of this great state and city.

Sheila Koebel

Sheila is a Captain in the United States Air Force and has been stationed in Great Falls since 2014. She proudly chose to serve her country in 2013 after working in law enforcement and mental health as a civilian. Sheila is a passionate supporter of community initiatives and chooses to get involved wherever she goes in local community organizations. She currently is a single mother to a 6 year old and 3 year old. In her off time she can be found volunteering with youth in her church, with base organizations or traveling to enjoy her passion of running!

We have provided 2,158 people services in our Y’s Buys store from July 2016 to June 2017.

The YWCA began as a movement; its name came later. The pulse of the movement was felt first in England in 1855 and in the United States in 1858.

In each country, a small group of caring and perceptive women began the task of making life better for other women. This group sensed the anxiety of young women who came from rural cities with supportive home bases to cities in search of work to become self-supporting. Factories were replacing at-home occupations such as weaving, sewing, and laundry.

First Associations

Boston was the first to use YWCA as the name for its association in 1859, even though it opened a year later than what is now the YWCA of the City of New York.

After Boston and New York, associations appeared in Hartford, Connecticut; Pittsburgh; Cleveland; and Cincinnati in 1867; St. Louis followed in 1868; and Dayton, Ohio; Washington, D.C.; Buffalo, New York; and Philadelphia in 1870.

By 1875, there were 28 Young Women’s Christian Associations in U.S. cities.

The first student association began its work in 1873 at Illinois State Normal University (now known as Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois); e by 1890, there was a total of 106 student associations.

As the number of associations increased in the U.S., there was a need to centralize information and programs. As a result, in 1907, the National Board of the YWCA of the USA was incorporated in New York. The first president of the National Board was Grace Dodge, daughter of a wealthy New York financier. With a talent for drawing people together for a common cause, Ms. Dodge united more than 600 small groups into one national organization. J.P. Morgan paid tribute to her great organizational skill by declaring, “She had the finest business brain in the United States, not excepting that of any man.”

1911, the national office was headquartered in New York City in a facility built as a result of the generosity and foresight of six YWCA women. The Victorian building provided for training, national offices, and a research center for girls and women.

In 1911 in Great Falls, Montana, a group of local church women met and formed a committee to establish a YWCA in Great Falls.

The group decided there was a need to help women and girls who were seeking work and those who came from rural areas to find a place to live.

During the first year, the group worked with more than 500 women through Traveler’s Aid, Vesper Services, Business Girls Club, public lounges, and high school girls clubs.

During the next two years, records show that the women met 2,229 trains, served 35,779 meals, and assisted more than 5,000 individuals.

They outgrew their building, and in 1918 moved to 1st Avenue North and 3rd Street, where they opened a dormitory for girls.

When the Great Depression hit, financing became a problem. The group was forced to close its doors for eight years.

However, the officers never disbanded, and when they received a gift of $25,000 from the James Long Estate, they bought the building at 315 1st Ave. North and continued their services.

In 1954, more than 2,000 people in the Great Falls community came together with money and/or time to build the current YWCA at 220 2nd St. North.

The YWCA Great Falls has a rich and colorful history. It has offered services that range from Techgirls to Card Club to the Great Falls community and surrounding areas.

In 1990, the Mercy Home shelter became a YWCA program. The Mercy Home was born in 1977 as a result of the community coming together, conducting a needs assessment of transient and abused women and children, and developing a systematic approach to create the first shelter for domestic violence victims and their children in Montana. It was one of only 30 shelters of its type in the United States of America.

In 2018 – 65 years later, asbestos floor tiles were abated and new flooring laid thanks to the city of Great Falls, the Great Falls Development Authority, and many individual supporters. The 1953 Neon Sign was restored thanks to many individual donors